The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-08-12
THE WITCH'S HEAD.
By Il. RIDER HAGGARD.

This company, running swiftly, took pos
session Of the ridge, down which the troop |
had charged, and by which alone it would be |
possible for Ernest to retreat, and, taking |
shelter behind stones, began to pour in an in |
accurate but CALLING fire on the little party Of |
whites. Ernest charged up through them, |
losing two more men and several horses In |
The process; but what was his horror, on
reaching the crest Of the ridge, to see about
1000 Zulus, drawn up, apparently in reserve,
in the neck of the pass leading to the plain be-
yondl To escape through them would be
almost impossible, for he was crippled with
wounded and dismounted men, and the pace
OF force is the pace of the slowest Their
position was desperate, and, looking round at
his men, he could see that they thought so too.
His resolution was soon taken. A few
PAGES from where he had for moment halted
the remainder of the corps was little
eminence something like an early Saxon tu-
mulus. To this he rode, and, dismounting,
turned his horse loose, ordering his men to do
the same. So good was the discipline, and so
great his control over them, that there were
no wild rushes to escape; they obeyed, re-
alizing their desperate case, and formed ring
round the rise.
"Now, men of Alston's Horse said Ernest,
1--WE have done our best; let us die our hard
est"
The men set up q cheer, and next minute
the Zulus creeping up under shelter of the
rocks, which were strewed around, attacked
them with fury
In five minutes in spite of the whitening
fiie which they poured in upon the surround
ing Zulus, six more of the little band were
dead Four were shot, two were killed in a
rush made by about dozen men, who, reck-
less of their own life, determined to break
through the white mans ring. They perished
In the attempt, but not before they had
stabbed two of Alston's Horse The re-
mainder, but little more than thirty men,
retired a few PAGES further up the little rise,
so as to contract their circle, and kept up
ceaseless fire upon the enemy. The Zulus,
thanks to the accurate shooting Of the white
men, had by this time lost more than fifty of
their number, and, annoyed at being put to
such loss by foe numerically so insignificant,
they determined to end the matter with a
rush. Ernest saw their leader, q great, al
most naked fellow with a small shield and q
necklace Of lions claws, walking, utterly re-
gardless of the pitiless rifle fire. from group
wgroup and exhorting them. Taking up
rifle which had just fallen from the hand of
dead trooper-for up to the present Ernest
| had not Joined in the fring-he took a fine
sight at about eighty yards at the Zulu
| chiefs broad chest, and pulled. The shot was
good one; the great fellow sprung into the
air and dropped. Instantly another COM
mander took his place, and the final advance
began.
But the Zulus had to come up hill, with but
little cover, and scores were mown down by
the scorching and continuous fire from the
breech leaders Twice whN within twenty
yards were they driven back; twice did they
come on again. Now they were but twelve
PAGES or SO away, and a murderous fire was
kept up upon them. For a moment they
wavered, then pushed forward up the slope.
"Close up!" shouted Ernest, "and use your
swords and pistols" His voice was heard
above the DIM some of the men dropped the
now useless rifles, and the revolvers began to
crack
Then the Zulus closed in upon the doomed
band, with a shout of "Bulala Umlungo"
Q,ill the white mani! .
Out rang the pistol shots, and the fire flew
from the clash of swords and assegais, and
still the little band, momentarily growing
fewer fought on with laboring breath. Never
did hope forsaken men make a more gallant
stand. Still they fought, and still they fell,
one by one, and as they fell were stabbed to
death; but scarcely one Of them was there
whose death wound was in his back
At last the remaining Zulus drew back
they thought that it was done.
But no; three men yet stood together upon
the very summit of the mound, holding six
foes at bay. The Zulu captain laughed aloud
when he saw 1t, and gave a rapid order
Thereupon the remaining Zulus formed up
and, stabbing the wounded as they went, de
parted swiftly over the dead, after the mair
body of the corps, which had now vanished
round the mountain.
They left the six to finish the three
Three hundred had come to attack Alston'
Horse; not more than 100 departed from tina
attack The overpowered white men hac
rendered good account of their foes
The three left alive on the summit of th
little hill were, as fate would have it, Ernest
Jeremy and an ex-sailor.
Their revolvers were empty; Ernest's swor,
had broken off short in the body of a Zulu
Jeremy still had his sword and the sailor
dubbed carbine
Presently one Of the six Zulus lodged 4
under the carbine and ran the sailor through
Glancing round, Ernest saw his face tur
gray. The honest fellow died as he had lived
swearing hard.
"Ah, you - black mate,n he sung Out
stake that, and be id to you'll" Th
dubbed rifle came'down upon the Zulu's sku
and cracked it to bits, and both fell dead t.
gether
Now there were five Zulus left and onl
Ernest and Jeremy to meet them. But stay
suddenly from under u corpse uprises anothe
foe. No, 1t Is not foe--it Is MazoolSu, VIII
has been shamming dead, but suddenly an
most opportuney shows himself to be yer
much alive. Advancing from behind l
stabs one Of the attacking party and xii
him. That leaves four. Then he engag
another, and after long struggle kills hin
too, which leaves three. And still the tv
white men stand back to back, with flashir
. eyes and gasping breath, and hold their ow
Soaked with blood, desperate and expectir
death, they were yet gallant sight to Sc
> Two Of the remaining Zulus rush at the gia
) Jeremy, one at Ernest. Ernest having
. effective weapon left, dodges the asseg
, thurst and then closes with his antagoni:
: and they roll over and over, down the hill t
gether, struggling for the asaegai the Zu
holds. 1t snaps in two, but the blade al
,, about eight inches Of the shaft remain wi
Z, Ernest. He drives it through his enem,
A. throat, and he dies Then he struggles up
SEQ the closing scene of tho drama, but not
r. time TO help in 1t. Mazooku has wounded !
: man badly, and is following to kill him. Al
jeremy He has struck at one of the Katf,
g, with his sword. The blow is received on {
IS edge of the cowhide shield and sinks half W
>, through it, so that the hide holds the ST
In fast. With sharp twist Of the shield I
N; weapon is jerked out of his hand, and he
na left defenseless, with nothing to trust to
q, cept his native strength. Surely he is 10
J., But no-with a sudden rush he seizes be
Zulus by the throat, one in each hand, al
- strong men as they are, swings them W
IN apart Then with tremendous effort
IL jerks their heads together with such aw
force that they fall senseless, and Mazoc
I'M comes up and spears them.
OF Thus was the fight ended.
II. Ernest and Jeremy sunk upon the bloc
ny grass, gasping for breath. The firing fr
ew the direction Of the camp had now
Mi away, and after the tumult the shouts,
i5t the shrieks of the dying, the silence seen
- deep. 1t was the silence Of the dead.
There they lay, white man and Zulu,
by side in the peaceable sunlight; and
vague, bewildered way Ernest noticed I
the faces, which u few minutes before
looked so grim, were mostly smiling N
al They had passed through the ivory gates
reached the land of smiles How still
all werel A little black and white bird, S
as fly from ant hill to ant hill, came and
gh. tied upon the forehead Of young fel
scarcely more than boy, and the only
lick of his mother, who lay quiet across
airy Zulus. The bird knew why he was SO
Ernest had liked the boy, and knew
ing. mother and began TO wonder as he lay p
the ! ing on the grass what she would feel "